• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Google is shifting its TV-video business. Will YouTube get a bigger playground to work in?

This comes as one report says the company is de-emphasizing its smart TV set operations, cutting back expenses and staffing on Google TV and Android TV business by 10%.

In looking to build on its rising YouTube business, Google's goal would be to accelerate its position versus legacy TV companies.

YouTube has grabbed big headlines as it has steadily reported rising viewership per Nielsen measurement, showing that the streaming platform (ad-supported and ad-free) now commands around 12% to 13% of all TV-streaming viewing.

Google's evolving efforts in the future would have an effect on streamers/smart TV manufacturers -- especially Samsung and Roku in a different approach.

Samsung’s strength has come from selling lots of streaming TV sets, amid trying to grow its smart TV OS system as a budding advertising platform.

Roku is in something of a reverse position compared to Samsung -- with modestly growing advertising dollars for its OS, and through its Roku Channel. At the same time, it has a much smaller Roku-branded smart TV set business.

Roku is estimated to take in $3.0 billion in 2025 ad sales, according to MoffettNathanson Research.

Samsung's ad take is much lower. Rough estimates are that three major TV makers -- Samsung, Vizio, and LG -- pull in a collective $1.5 billion per year.

Overall, both Samsung and Roku would love to find a way to grab some of Google’s dominant advertising revenue performance.

YouTube’s global advertising revenue was $8.9 billion in the first quarter of 2025. MoffettNathanson estimates that for full-year 2025, YouTube ad revenue will hit $40.1 billion.

So with this major advantage, Google is feeling good about its prospects of leaning into the TV/streaming space -- which includes making YouTube seem more like TV to many, like having "channels" rather than individual videos, and having better season and episode formats for shows and other content.

Analysts believe that YuTube could accelerate this position -- while not totally giving up on the physical product of selling actual smart TV sets. (Just a 10% trim on staffing and costs).

That said, could the YouTube-brand name find its way onto an actual TV set someday?